


Fear of Falling

by Plaguedoctorbeaks



Category: Crash Bandicoot (Video Games)
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, Love Confessions, M/M, Oneshot, this could be rated general but it says one (1) fuckword
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-04
Updated: 2019-12-04
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:34:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21669046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Plaguedoctorbeaks/pseuds/Plaguedoctorbeaks
Summary: N. Gin drags Cortex off to a funfair for some much-needed relaxation and a break from plotting future evil deeds. This doesn't go according to plan, of course, and ends up with Cortex stuck in a metal box, facing two of his biggest fears: heights, and emotions.
Relationships: Crash Bandicoot/Neo Cortex
Comments: 11
Kudos: 47





	Fear of Falling

The steady metallic clicking of the ferris wheel rung out through the cue where a thoroughly unamused Neo Cortex stood. He wasn't there of his own accord- N. Gin, who stood beside him was responsible, the rocket wedged in his head emitting small puffs of fluffy white smoke in his enthusiasm. "Ooh, the line's getting shorter, boss!" N. Gin exclaimed, bouncing on his heels excitedly. "Wonderful," Cortex grumbled. He had thinly disguised it as a lack of interest, but in truth, he was terrified of going on the ferris wheel. It wasn't the height that scared him. It was what invariably came after. Freefalling off of his hoverboard. Falling from orbit within his space station. Falling through the airlock. No matter what he did, he always seemed to end up plummeting to the ground. Of course, he very well knew the chances of the ferris wheel collapsing or even having a minor malfunction were so low they were near non-existent, but his anxiety still grew with every step closer to the wheel they took. Why on earth did he think going to this stupid carnival was a good idea? It felt good to get away from the old Iceberg Lab for once in a while, sure, but it wasn't going to be worth it if it meant risking yet another fall. At least N. Gin hadn’t decided on the roller coaster. Cortex’s heart sank as he realised there was only one more person between himself and N. Gin, and the end of the line.

A bored looking teenaged human wearing headphones - the ride’s operator - stared down at the phone in his hands, stood at the head of the line. He glanced at the ride, which had come to a stop, and motioned for the next in line to come forward. N. Gin eagerly stepped forward, shoving his ticket into the operator's hand, and was shepherded into the waiting compartment along with the stranger in front of them. Cortex reluctantly made to follow him, only to have the door shut in front of him. The compartments were for two only. N. Gin waved at Cortex cheerfully as the wheel was set into motion. Cortex quietly breathed a sigh of relief. The compartments seated two only! Great! He could leave the line now, and everything would be just fine. Before he could move, however, the next compartment came into the boarding station.

The door swung open, and the operator stepped forward, only for whoever was inside to hand him another ticket, paying for another go. The operator shrugged and began to herd Cortex into the compartment. "Wait, no! Let me go, you imbecile!" The teenager was pretty bulky, and easily shunted Cortex into his seat without hearing a word he said, courtesy of his headphones. Cortex silently cursed his small stature and his decision to leave his ray gun back at the lab. How humiliating. The door clicked shut, and the wheel whirred to life. Cortex felt his stomach drop as they slowly but surely left the ground. Resigning himself to his fate, he turned to the person next to him, only to freeze as he saw someone who looked equally as shocked as Cortex felt. Soft orange fur. Blue jeans. Wild green eyes. Crash. Motherfucking. Bandicoot. "You've got to be kidding me," Cortex groaned aloud.

The surprised look on Crash's face was quickly replaced with his usual goofy grin, and his hand extended towards Cortex, seemly offering him the wumpa flavoured fairy floss he was holding. "...No thank you," Cortex declined stiffly, eyeing the amber threads of spun sugar mere millimetres from his face. Crash shrugged and took a large bite of fairy floss, licking his lips with glee. "Well. At least he's not trying to kill me," Cortex thought. He settled back into his seat and tried to relax, but his efforts proved fruitless. How on earth could he be calm? He was being suspended further and further from the ground as time ticked by, and he was trapped centimetres away from his arch nemesis, locked inside a metal box.

Cortex began considering methods of escaping from this dilemma. He could strangle Crash. As good as that sounded, he knew he didn’t stand a chance against him without his ray gun. He still had several scars from their previous battles. He briefly wondered if jumping out the window would be worth it, but that idea quickly vanished as he looked out the window and felt the knot in his stomach tighten. The window looked too solid for him to break open with his bare hands, anyway. He hastily returned his gaze to the floor as he tried to think up another plan. Crash didn’t seem to have a care in the world, meanwhile. He seemed quite content with his fairy floss, looking out at the clouds and the bustle of the festival down below. The disquiet Cortex felt was growing by the second as they rose further and further from the ground. Cortex concluded that the only way he could make it out of here alive, and with his sanity intact, would be to not interact with the bandicoot at all, and do his best to pretend he wasn’t locked inside a steel deathtrap. He fixed his gaze on a dry wad of gum stuck to the floor.

Crash was looking at him. Cortex could tell. The sounds of eating had stopped, and he felt the uncomfortable sensation of being watched. Cortex tried not return the gaze, but the awkward tension was growing by the second. He looked up and glowered at the bandicoot. "What do you want?" he snapped. Crash only smiled back, his expression somewhat softer than before. He looked lazily into Cortex's eyes, a genuinely warm smile on his face. Cortex felt his face go hot for a moment, and hurriedly looked away. What the hell just happened? How did he get flustered so easily? Why on earth did he get flustered in the first place?! The wheel stopped. After a few seconds passed, Cortex tentatively peeked back over at Crash, but the bandicoot was now looking out the window, apparently admiring the scenery. Cortex puzzlingly found himself unwilling to look away, strange, disturbing feelings beginning to bubble within him. The wheel kept moving.

Crash's orange fur was nearly glowing in the light of setting sun. A content smile quirked the corners of his mouth, and his heavy-lidded eyes slowly moved as he took in the view. Cortex tried again to avert his gaze, but he just couldn't. He felt the same curious feelings deep down that he had felt multiple times while he and Crash worked together to defeat the Evil Twins. There was a feeling that had developed over that time together. He had managed to suppress these feelings as that fiasco came to an end, returning to his usual bitter contempt, but they had never entirely faded. The feeling seemed to swell from where Cortex had imprisoned it as he looked at Crash, pushing to the forefront of his mind. It was an almost pleasant feeling, but one that terrified him all the same. He felt as though he didn't entirely hate Crash, somehow. He felt... 

Cortex shoved the thoughts back from where they came, into the recesses of his mind, and quickly looked back at the floor. It was easier to ignore them. He had been suppressing these feelings for long enough. He could suppress them for longer. Yet, even as he thought that, he saw Crash glance back at him in the corner of his eye, and they came flooding back. Cortex swallowed hard and tried to steel his nerves. Now was as good a time as any to face these feelings. It would be better than living with them bottled up forever, he supposed. He looked back up at Crash, and the two locked eyes. The compartment stopped moving. They were at the top. Their distance from the ground was of little concern to Cortex in that moment.

"...Crash, listen to me." The bandicoot nodded, showing he was. "I... I hate you. I despise you with a burning passion. You already know this, of course." Crash tilted his head slightly as he nodded, raising an eyebrow. He could tell something was up, Cortex knew it. He took a deep breath, disgruntled by how vulnerable he felt. "Well, since your annoying antics have been a constant part of my life for years now, and I... suppose I've gotten used to you being around, and as much as I hate to admit it, you’ve become somehow important to me. And when we were... working together, that connection seemed to evolve in a bizarre way, for… for me, anyway." The confused look on Crash's face was replaced with one of dawning realisation, and his eyes widened.

"Essentially, what I'm saying... I never thought I would, but... I have... I... There's..." For the first time he could recall in ages, Cortex’s words failed him. His hands formed solid fists, his heart racing, adrenaline pumping. Crash’s eyes were trained on him, waiting in anticipation. “Well. There’s no turning back now. You’ve dug your own grave, Neo.” Cortex thought, his mind racing. No point in hesitating any longer. "…I love you," he finally spat out. The burning warmth had returned to his face, hot blush staining his yellow cheeks an odd shade of orange. “No matter what, I can’t stop thinking about you.” Now that this was finally happening, Cortex couldn’t stop the words from pouring out. “I know you have very little reason to trust me, but it’s true. You’ve thrown my life off course, in more ways than one, and I both hate and love you for it. I’m a genius, I had every chance to succeed, yet you’ve managed to defeat me every time, and it’s obvious that you’re so much more I’ve given you credit for, I just had to open my eyes. You’re… you’re wonderful, and I’m in love with you.” Cortex couldn’t continue, choking on any more words that tried to follow. At some point during his rant he had looked away. Tentatively, he looked up to see just how horrified Crash looked at all of this drivel.

Crash was nodding fast, smiling wider than Cortex thought was possible, soft laughter escaping his throat. Cortex couldn't help but smile in kind, the permanent scowl he usually had around Crash shattering. He chuckled lightly in relief, the weight of his emotions dissolving and lifting off of his shoulders. Crash reached out and pulled the scientist into a bone-crushing hug, wordlessly returning his confession. "... We're still enemies, you mindless marsupial..." Cortex half-heartedly sighed, allowing himself to sink into Crash's embrace. Crash planted a kiss onto the top of Cortex's head, nuzzling the tuft of hair above his forehead. Cortex looked up at Crash’s face, a genuine smile plastered across his face for the first time in quite a while. Crash was grinning back, slight warmth in his cheeks visible through his fur. “I hate you,” Cortex murmured. Crash responded by closing the gap between their faces and pressing his lips against Cortex’s. Cortex’s eyes closed as he tilted his head slightly, returning the kiss. The wheel begun to move once more, but that couldn't be further from Cortex's mind. They began their slow decent to the ground.

**Author's Note:**

> g'day!  
> I've been really interested in this pairing for a while, and I noticed that it had a sad lack of content in general, so I'm doing my part for all 30 people that ship it.  
> this is my first time writing in quite a while, so it's definitely not the best fic out there by any stretch of the imagination. i'd really appreciate any feedback that anyone has to offer.
> 
> funfact- there was originally a scene where Tiny breaks a strength tester machine at the beginning, but i removed it since it was pointless


End file.
